The Miniature Muse
by Sweet Pea Paintings Co
The holiday season is here and our festive decor is coming out! The holidays are a magical time for kiddos - all of the colors, foods, smells, themes, and activities make this time of year the best time of year. From October right on through to January, kids get a lot more time off of school to enjoy the holidays with their families. Let's get creative!
We declare this land Autumnomous!
For those of you who don't already know, I used to teach K-7 Art! I have such a passion for both education and art, with the holiday season being my FAVORITE time of the school year. There are so many amazing crafts you can make inspired by the Fall season that are perfect for your kids to make, but you as the adult as well. It's always nice to do activities with your kids that you can also enjoy! These fun little projects often incorporate Salt Dough. If you have yet to hear of Salt Dough, it will change your life as a teacher or parent! Salt Dough is essentially home-made Play-Doh. You can save money AND teach your kids how to make something really neat. Without further ado, here are 6 Fall inspired projects the whole family can enjoy!
Salt Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Optional: food coloring
Instructions:
Start by covering your work area with a cheap plastic tablecloth (Dollar Tree has great ones for this) to make cleaning up super easy!
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Gradually add water while stirring and mixing to form a dough with a Play-Doh like consistency. Note: adding water gradually is important here, as too much water will result in extreme stickiness and you don't want that! Adding too little water can result in the dough falling apart and not being sticky enough. It's a balancing act.
Form the dough into a ball and knead for 5-7 minutes, until your dough is smooth and firm. Additional water may be needed, depending on if your dough appears crumbly. Simply add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough reaches that Play-Doh-like texture. On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, add more flour by the teaspoon until it's no longer tacky.
Optional: If you would like to add colors to your dough, divide up the kneaded dough into however many colors you would like to create. Simply add a few drops of food coloring at a time and knead until satisfied with your colors!
Store the salt dough in a Ziploc bag when it's not in use to prevent it from drying out. You do not need to refrigerate it!
DRYING: There are two ways to dry your finished work. You can simply let the work air dry or bake your projects. See directions below should you choose to bake your work!
Baking your Projects:
If you want to bake your salt dough creations, place them on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake in an oven set at 250-degrees. Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your crafts. For each 1/4" in thickness, allow approximately a half hour of baking time, or until its surface turns a light golden brown. Monitor baking pieces and turn each piece regularly so the entire surface dries. If you notice there is an area that is beginning to puff up/creating a bubble, poke a tiny hole in it using a toothpick to release that air buildup.
Fall/Halloween Tree Ornaments
I know we all hear about folks taking their Christmas trees out in October and we think, "It's too soon!" Not necessarily. Hear me out. It's the holiday spirit, just for the holiday a couple months down the line. Why not get out your tree early and decorate it for the holiday at hand? I originally got this idea from my mother, who has an Easter tree. It is not your typical evergreen tree, but more of an artificial stick tree decorated with little Easter ornaments. It. Is. SO. Cute. I thought, a Fall, Halloween, or even Thanksgiving tree (come November), would be just darling. All of these little crafts can be made for the Fall season tree in mind, but can be slightly altered to be a stand-alone craft!
Dough Pumpkins (2D or 3D)
There are two ways to make adorable pumpkin ornaments. If you are working with your kids, the method you choose might depend on their age. In terms of difficulty, I recommend the 2D pumpkin for younger (K-3rd grade) students. For students who are older (4th grade and up), I recommend the 3D pumpkins.
1. For 2D Pumpkins, You will need:
Salt Dough
Rolling Pin
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter OR plastic knife
1 toothpick per person
Optional: Black paint for painting faces and one paintbrush per person
Ribbon (skinny)
Instructions:
1. Choose a size: Decide what size you want your flat pumpkin ornaments to be and work with the amount of salt dough that will produce that size. I recommend using about a golf ball's size of salt dough. This will give you a size that isn't too small, gives you enough space to work with, and isn't too big and heavy for a tree. I recommend keeping its thickness at about a 1/2 inch.
2. Create your flat pumpkin shape: You can do this by either rolling your dough out flat and using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your shape, OR by molding the shape yourself upon rolling the dough out and cutting it out with a plastic knife.
3. Add in the curved lines of a pumpkin with a toothpick: Be careful and gentle so you don't cut the pumpkin all the way through. You just want to make a very soft line! Tip: If you find a toothpick to be too choppy, consider using the edge of a coin lying around! Simply roll the edge of that coin in a curved line down your pumpkin!
4. Make an ornament hole in the pumpkin with your toothpick: I recommend making the hole below the stem in the upper middle body of the pumpkin so it is less likely to break after drying! You may want to help your little guys with this step as it can be challenging for tiny hands! Make sure you expand the hole to be large enough to fit a skinnier ribbon through.
5. Dry your work: Allow to dry overnight OR bake!
6. Optional: Paint a face onto your pumpkin to turn it into a Jack-O-Lantern ornament! Let it dry.
7. Your ornament is ready to be given its ribbon! Help your kiddo tie its ribbon onto their ornament so it can be hung on your Fall tree!
8. All done! Go ahead and hang your sweet little pumpkin ornaments on your tree!
2. For 3D Pumpkins, You will need:
Salt Dough
1 Toothpick per person
Twine
Optional: Orange & Black paint for painting faces and one paintbrush per person
Ribbon (skinny)
Instructions:
Choose a size: Remember, the more dough you use, the heavier it will be as an ornament! If you just want to create pumpkins rather than pumpkin ornaments, use as much salt dough as you want! The more you use, the bigger and heavier your pumpkin will be! However, if you'd like to make an ornament, I recommend keeping it smaller than a golf ball!
Roll your dough into a ball. It's okay if your ball is a little lumpy. Real pumpkins aren't perfect either!
Create your stem with extra dough. Make it thick enough for a hole for the ribbon! Make the ribbon's hole with your toothpick.
Use twine to section off your pumpkin. Push down on the top of your pumpkin with a pencil eraser or something skinny with a blunt end to make that twine dig into your dough to create those sections. Click here to see an example. Pumpkin sections can be very even or imperfect.
Remove the twine: You should now have a ball with little pumpkin indents around it. Smooth it out with your fingers!
Attach the stem: Blend the base of the stem in with your pumpkin. Glue may be required to fasten the stem upon drying.
Allow your pumpkins to dry. Attach the stem with glue if needed.
Optional: Turn your pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern by painting your pumpkin orange and adding a face on your 3D pumpkin! Allow to dry.
Attach the ribbon to your 3D pumpkin!
Hang it up and enjoy its cuteness.
Dough Acorn Ornaments There are two ways to make sweet little acorn ornaments. If you are working with your kids, the method you choose might depend on the age of your kiddo. In terms of difficulty, I recommend the 2D acorn for younger (K-3rd grade) students. For students who are older (4th grade and up), I recommend the 3D acorns.
3. For 2D Acorns, You will need:
Salt Dough
1 Toothpick per person
Rolling Pin
Optional: Acorn-shaped cookie cutter
If you don't have a cookie cutter, use a plastic knife!
Optional: Paint or a sharpie to decorate your acorn
Skinny ribbon
Choose your size: Remember, the more dough you use, the heavier it will be as an ornament! If you just want to create acorns rather than acorn ornaments, use as much salt dough as you want! The more you use, the bigger and heavier your acorn will be! If you'd like to make an ornament, I recommend keeping it around the size of a golf ball. If you are using a cookie cutter, use enough to cover the size of that cutter! Keep in mind acorns themselves are small and these ornaments can be very cute as mini ornaments!
Roll your dough into a ball and roll it out using your rolling pin. Keep your ornament on the thicker side (1.2 inch thick) as this will make your ornament more sturdy and less likely to break!
Cut out your shape. If you have an acorn-shaped cookie cutter, go ahead and use that to cut out your acorn. If not, not a problem! You can use your toothpick to gently draw out the size of your acorn on your dough. When you finalize that shape, use a plastic knife to carefully cut out your acorn shape!
Add details: Use your tooth pick to gently draw the hat of your acorn and add some texture to the hat.
Add Ornament Hole: Use your toothpick to make a hole towards the top of your acorn hat. Make sure that hole isn't too close to the edge of your hat so it doesn't break when dry!
Dry your acorn: Either allow to dry overnight or bake at 250-degrees for about 30 minutes depending on thickness!
Optional: Decorate your Acorn. Use some paint or a Sharpie to decorate those adorable acorn ornaments! Or leave them as is for a simple, gorgeous ornament.
Ribbon: Loop that skinny ribbon through the ornament hole and tie it off. Your ornament is ready to be hung!
4. For 3D Acorns, You will need:
Salt Dough
1 Toothpick per person
Optional: Actual Acorns, 1 per ornament you would like to make!
Optional: Paint or Sharpie for drawing a face on your acorn
Gorilla Glue
Ribbon (skinny)
Instructions:
Choose your size: Remember, the more dough you use, the heavier it will be as an ornament! If you just want to create acorns rather than acorn ornaments, use as much salt dough as you want! The more you use, the bigger and heavier your acorn will be! If you'd like to make an ornament, I recommend keeping it smaller than a golf ball! Keep in mind acorns themselves are small and these ornaments can be very cute as mini ornaments!
Optional - Real Acorns: If you have access to acorns nearby, go acorn hunting with your kiddos! Round up some good sizes and take them home. You can use real acorns to help you build your ornaments. For example, you can simply mold your dough around your real acorn to make sculpting easier. If you'd like to free-hand it, keep reading!
Split your dough into two different sections: one with 75% of your allotted dough, and the other with the remaining 25% of your dough.
Roll your dough into a ball: Roll your largest dough section into a sphere. Then, begin to pinch the bottom into a soft point to create that acorn body. Set acorn body aside.
Acorn Hat: Roll your small dough section into a ball and begin pinching that dough to make the acorn's hat! Use your acorn body to help you figure out the size hat your acorn needs. Gently poke two separate holes in the acorn's hat. These holes will be used upon drying your piece to attach your ribbon! Attach the hat. If the acorn dries and the hat is not attached, glue as necessary!
Allow your acorns to dry: Bake salt dough projects for faster completion!
Optional - Paint your acorns! Give them some personality or even a face! Or, simply leave them as is.
Ribbon: Use a skinny ribbon and weave it through the two holes in your acorn hat and tie it off. Your ornament is ready to be hung!
5. Dough + Seed Mosaic Ornaments
This is such a fun little craft that can have so much variety. These simple and easy to follow steps will help you learn how to make all kinds of little fall themed seed mosaics! I originally got this idea from frugalfun4boysandgirls but have loved using a salt dough variation of their craft in my own classroom. Check them out as well if you loved this craft! They have lots of amazing activities! Ideas for Fall/Halloween themed mosaic ornaments:
Pumpkins
Jack-O-Lantern
Leaves of different shapes
Acorns
Sunflowers,
Latte/Coffee
Sweaters
Candle
Ghost
Frankenstein Head
Witch Hat
Bat
You will need:
Dried beans: You can use Romano, Yellow Whole Peas, Chickpeas, White Kidney Beans, Black Eyed Peas, or Black Turtle Beans! If it is easier, just get some white beans and paint your project after it dries and hardens!
White Glue
Salt Dough
Toothpick (1 per person)
Fall themed cookie cutters
Rolling Pin
Instructions:
Roll out your dough using your rolling pin into a wide surface. Keep it ticker, about 1/2" thick!
Use your Fall-themed cookie cutters to cut your dough into different Fall shapes!
Use your toothpick to lightly draw an imprinted design on your piece.
Use your toothpick to poke a hole in your dough large enough to fit your ornament ribbon through later!
Use your different colored beans to fill in that design! Press them gently into your dough. Don't push them all the way down to the bottom, but just enough so they aren't falling off.
Allow your piece to AIR DRY! I repeat, DO NOT BAKE!
If you notice beans are falling off when your work is dry, use your glue to glue in the beans. Let glue dry.
If you used one color of beans, paint your project as you'd like. Let it dry.
Loop your ornament ribbon through the hole and tie it off. Your gorgeous mosaic ornament is ready to be hung!
6. Stamped Leaf Ornaments
Fall is naturally a stunning time of the year. The weather is cooling down, the leaves are changing color, and the holiday spirit is rising. For your next Fall-themed ornament, get outside and go leaf hunting! Collect some of the most beautiful leaves you can find and take them home to use them to create these stamped ornaments.
You will need:
10+ medium to large whole leaves. NOTE: try to find leaves that still have some life in them. In other words, choose leaves that bend and don't crumble. You will want your leaf to be firm and able to be pressed/rolled into your dough
Optional: Can you find any berries? Nuts? Small acorns? You can pick some of those up to add little stamped details around your leaf imprint if there's space!
Salt Dough
Rolling pin
Toothpick (1 per person)
Plastic knife OR a circle cookie cutter large enough to encompass your largest leaf.
Optional: Paint. Water, and Paint Brushes
Instructions:
On a protected surface, roll out your dough. Keep it about 1/2" thick!
Place a leaf of your choosing on a section of your dough. Gently press down on your leaf evenly OR use your rolling pin to roll on top of your leaf to imprint its pattern into your dough. Carefully and slowly peel your leaf off of your dough. You should have your leaf's design stamped into your dough!
Optional: Do you have some extra space around your leaf imprint and want to add some extra little details? Gently press a couple berry, nut, or acorn imprints just as you did with your leaf.
Use either a plastic knife or a circular cookie cutter to cut out your stamp.
Use your toothpick to carefully make a hole large enough to fit your ornament ribbon through upon completion. **Remember, don't make the hole too close to the edge of your ornament. This can cause it to break!**
Allow your ornament to dry completely. Bake for faster results!
Optional: Adding some color to the imprints themselves can elevate your ornament further. If you have watercolor paints, I recommend those, as the paint can be put on loosely and thinly. Acrylic paint can work as well, though I recommend watering it down so it is not too thick! Allow paint to dry completely.
Loop your ornament ribbon through your hole and tie it off. Your ornament is ready to be hung!
Try One! Try Them All!
Each of these little Autumn ornament ideas can be used in so many different ways. Get into the holiday spirit for each holiday! Make some ornaments for Fall, make some to add on for Halloween, and come November, we can add even more for Thanksgiving. (Thanksgiving ornament ideas coming soon!)
Did you try a project from this list? Comment below and let us know how it went! How did it turn out? To share your projects with our growing community, simply click to join The Miniature Muse Community - a group where you can share your work, ideas, and comments! Like and Subscribe to stay up to date on all our newest blogs! Thanksgiving and Winter projects are coming soon!
I absolutely love these fall craft ideas!